Massachusetts Teachers Association Summer Conference features a keynote speaker who justifies October 7th, a workshop on "Considering Marxism" and Cornel West.

Keynote speaker Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor reposted on X that the "beheaded babies" is a myth, and spent October 8th and 9th justifying Hamas' massacre.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association is holding its summer conference from July 27-30 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Workshops are grouped into different categories including: Bargaining Certificate Program, PDP (professional development program) courses for which attendees can get professional development credits, union skills and leadership workshops, and, of course, “anti-oppression” workshops.

The “anti-oppression” workshops are described as follows:

“Our anti-oppression offerings have grown over the years. Whether you are just getting familiar with these concepts or have been entrenched in social justice efforts, we have many offerings to meet you where you are and bring you together with other members along the journey. We strive to keep moving toward being a more just, equitable and transformative union that is strategic and intentional about creating spaces that address power, oppression, identity and systemic change. Our hope is to build solidarity and strengthen our approaches to be more effective in addressing these highly sensitive and critical realities within our schools, unions and statewide communities. Now is the time to expand our collective knowledge and actions as they pertain to dismantling social, economic, political and cultural constructs that perpetuate oppression.”

Just some of the “anti-oppression” workshops MTA members could attend:

LatinX Heritage: History, Identity and Current Complexities - This workshop explores Latin American history, with an emphasis on colonization and how it impacts the lives and identities of LatinX immigrants today. Participants will gain knowledge of how these historical events are connected to current immigration of Latin Americans to the US. The barriers and discrimination that LatinX immigrants face through language, media, and other structures will be covered, as well as issues associated with identity, pan ethnicity and prejudice that may cause some immigrants to strongly identify with their own national origin and distance themselves from other Latin American nations.

Anti-Blackness in Schools: Created for educators committed to supporting Black youth, this session focuses on concrete steps to establish Black-affirming educational spaces. This session advances racial justice by identifying how anti-Blackness impacts schools (in curriculum, discipline, etc.) while also providing actionable, culturally- relevant approaches that educators can use to lift up Black youth. We will analyze an exemplary model of a Black-focused educational space for inspiration on what is possible and finish by problem-solving steps for members to apply this work in their home context.

A Critical Exploration of Colonization and Intersectionality: This workshop will entail a critical exploration of Kimberle Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality and expand on it to help participants understand the multiple forms of exclusion experienced by Native Americans. We will explore the concept of intersectionality, particularly the intersection of race and tribal nation sovereignty, and illustrate how traditional theories of marginalization overlook the multifaceted nature of discrimination faced by Indigenous Peoples. This will foster a more inclusive approach to social justice for educators. Drawing on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s insights, we’ll examine how the unique positioning of Native Americans - who navigate both a racial and tribal experience - results in distinct experiences of racism, including violence, dispossession, invisibility, and miseducation.

Gender Diversity in Multilingual Classrooms: Most educators, particularly educators of multilingual students, know the need to center culturally diverse materials in their instruction. However, queer culture and characters are not often included for a variety of reasons, even though queer individuals exist in all cultures. Students who are a part of that community need to see themselves as well. This workshop will discuss age-appropriate materials and information accessible across all language levels. It will provide educators with tools to address sensitive topics in a way that will encourage acceptance of all peers and adults.

Achieving Diversity Without Divisiveness: Achieving Diversity Without Divisiveness will provide frameworks, touchstones, and tools proven effective in K-12 education and beyond. Clarifications about what DEI is and what DEI is not, resolution of current controversies, templates for messages to families, and tried and true lessons will be introduced, explained, and interactively practiced so that participants can integrate them into their efforts to navigate the fraught DEI landscape with clarity, confidence, and competence.

…by “resolution of current controversies” could they perhaps be referring to the rampant antisemitism within the MTA?…probably not.

Professional Development Program

In case you thought that was it for the social justice offerings for the MTA, do not fear - here are some of the workshops for which MTA members can receive professional development credits:

Sadly - this course is already full if you had hoped to sign up for it:

Stronger Together: The Three Pillars of Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Practices

As classrooms become increasingly diverse, educators must move beyond surface-level multicultural approaches to deeply integrate instructional practices that honor and sustain students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This interactive workshop empowers educational leaders to transform their practice through a deeper understanding of ALL three pillars of Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Education (CLSE): Cultural Competency, Critical Consciousness, and Cognitive Capacity. Participants will explore how these pillars intersect with indigenous, immigrant, and community-based knowledge systems historically undervalued in traditional pedagogy.

Participants who attend both days and complete all assignments will earn 15 PDPs in English Language Learners.

This next course is also full - you can join the waiting list:

Embedding Social and Emotional Learning into Your Existing Program

Today’s students need explicit instruction and practice in the skills they are losing, but there is never enough time to teach it all. This course will help educators embed the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making into existing classes, programs and school culture. Learning experiences for all levels will be shared and practiced. Participants will:- learn the benefits of SEL- participate in activities for each SEL competency for use with students- utilize SEL best practices- research evidence-based programs- develop a plan to incorporate competencies into grade level, subject, population, and teaching style- facilitate SEL 3 signature practices with the group (inclusive welcome, engaging strategies, and intentional close)- design strategies to increase school-wide, family, and community engagement. An education that promotes SEL has been shown to lead to positive outcomes for students, staff, families, and school communities. This course will help educators encourage those positive outcomes in “social and emotional skills, academic performance, mental wellness, healthy behaviors, school climate and safety, and lifetime outcomes.” (CASEL.org)

Union Skills and Leadership

The Union Skills and Leadership have the following offerings:

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience: Method & Philosophy

Nonviolent civil disobedience has a proud history within the labor movement. In this workshop we will practice the method and consider its relevance for today. Participants will experience some of what engaging in direct action involves and discuss the rationales for including it in today's union organizing toolbox. Suggested audience: All Members

and of course this gem..

Considering Marxism

Some claim that Marxism is a tool we can use to analyze our lives, our work, the broader world and the history that has created it. But, the basic ideas are almost 200 years old. Do they still apply? Have they ever been true? This workshop will introduce the major elements of Marxist philosophy. It is NOT intended for those who want to debate what Marx really meant. Rather, it will ask participants to share what they have heard, question the validity, and explore the advantages and disadvantages of this perspective. Is this a method of analysis and activism that can empower our organizing?

Keynote Speakers

The choice of Keynote speakers for the conference are certainly interesting given the MTA’s latest controversies: Cornel West, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and Maurice "Moe" Mitchell.

Cornel West needs little introduction but here’s the one written for him by the MTA:

“Featuring a Sunday keynote by Cornel West, Ph.D., an American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic and public intellectual. West acknowledges the gravity of the current moment—a time of moral decay, deepening inequality and spiritual emptiness in the halls of power. He invokes the legacy of prophetic voices— W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and Ella Baker—reminding the audience that every generation faces its own reckoning. With his signature blend of righteous anger and deep love, he calls on us not to despair, but to organize, mobilize and reimagine.”

Of course, this is also Cornel West:

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor is a Professor in the Department of African-American Studies at Princeton University, and is the acting chair of the department.

Featuring a Sunday keynote by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Ph.D., an author, scholar and activist. Taylor speaks with clarity and urgency about the crossroads we now face. Drawing on history and grounded in the lived experiences of the working class and the Black freedom tradition, she illuminates how this moment—however bleak—is also one of profound possibility. Member-leaders will present prior to Taylor and demonstrate how, now more than ever, we must be in action to protect our unions, our workplaces and our democracy.

Taylor describes herself as a “sholar.author.activist.”

Taylor wrote the forward for Howard Zinn’s autobiography “You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train.”

She has written several books including:

“How We Get Free: Black Feminism and The Combahee River Collective.”

“From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation”

“Race for Profit:How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership.”

Taylor was also a member of the Trotskyist International Socialist Organization. :

Taylor’s X account has been quite preoccupied with Israel - she seems to like to repost Qatari-funded media, cranks and extremists (like Palestinian Youth Movement) - she also seems to think October 7th was justified:

Maurice “Moe” Mitchell

“Featuring a keynote by Maurice "Moe" Mitchell, an activist, rapper, musician and the national director of the Working Families Party, a progressive political party known for cross-endorsing candidates through fusion voting.”

Here he is calling for an arms embargo against Israel

The Massachusetts Teachers Association seems to have chosen its path. The question now is what path remains for its liberal, Zionist members.